Music Artist for March 2016: Travis Linville

With sounds in his arsenal that include country, folk, jazz and blues, Travis Linville expresses himself on more than ten instruments, including acoustic and electric guitar, the dobro, pedal steel guitar and the mandolin. Linville seeked out guitar legend Joe Settlemires for instruction and before he graduated high school, he had already landed a spot with a gigging country band and was playing in clubs every weekend.

The culmination of his journeyman’s path came when Linville was invited to join Willie Nelson on stage at one of the Texas legend’s annual picnics. He cites that moment as the one in which his desire to forge his own legacy was born. Keeping a relentless schedule, Linville started taking gigs backing up regional musicians while co-writing, producing and recording three albums with the Burtschi Brothers.

In 2007, he recorded and released See You Around, 20 tracks showcasing himself as a solo artist and composer while paying tribute to some of his guitar idols with interpretations of songs from Doc Watson, Jerry Reed and Merle Travis. More recently, his many years as a producer of other people’s albums (by his own count, 50 or more) has been put to use with 2012’s Sun or Moon EP and his current release Out on a Wire.